Beware of God
Stories
The War of the Bernsteins
These are the things that Bernstein carried in the brown, broken suitcase he kept under his bed in the hope that the Messiah would arrive in the middle of the night: two pairs of black socks, one pair of black pants, a white shirt, one Book of Psalms, some rugalach, three yarmulkes, a spare set of phylacteries, two prayer shawls (one for weekdays, one for Sabbath) and a bathing suit because you never know.
"In the World to Come," the rabbis would say to Bernstein, "there will be eternal happiness and joy."
"In the World to Come," Bernstein would say to his wife, "there will be eternal happiness and joy."
"I'm sorry you're so miserable here," Mrs. Bernstein replied from her post before the kitchen sink.
Bernstein lived every moment of this life in ho ... read full excerpt from Beware of God: Stories ebook